Pledged
by Half-Demon-Cali
Summary: It took a lost bet for the Dragonslayer to realize that his partner might mean more to him than he originally thought. [Day 3: "Even I can't destroy diamonds."]
1. Day 0

Well, hi there! And welcome to my second multi-chapter Fairy Tail fic! Hope you guys enjoy it. After all, you _did_ vote for it... Haha.

The timeline is two years after the Grand Magic Games, making it nine years after my last multi-chapter fanfic.

Note to new readers: This takes place in the same universe as _Identity_, said above fanfic. Nothing blaring that you have to read that in order to understand this, but there will be references and callbacks that you might not understand.

* * *

_**Prologue - Self-Made Mess**_

* * *

A pair of sandals trudged along the cobblestone road, their owner stressed and unusually gloomy.

This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair at _all_.

* * *

"_I win, Salamander."_

"_What!? No way, metal butt! Gimmie' that!"_

* * *

Natsu growled to himself, scaring some of Magnolia's innocent bystanders away with the noise. At the moment, the Dragonslayer could care less about them. He had enough on his mind without having to worry about frightening the locals.

"Damned magnet face…" he muttered beneath his breath. "One of these days, he's going to find himself six feet underground in a tiny box with only the walls to keep him company."

In case it wasn't obvious by this point, the Salamander was in an uncharacteristically bad mood. Moreover, the fault for his grouchiness fell on the shoulders of a certain metal-eating, stud-faced iron mage.

Well, it wasn't Gajeel's fault entirely. After all, Natsu had been the one to challenge his fellow slayer to that contest in the first place, and it was his own fault that he lost. In spite of any attempts he might make to not be destructive on missions, it was impossible for him not to destroy something while battling adversaries. He didn't expect so many Jewels to come out of his rewards, though!

* * *

"_You can check the list all you want, ash breath. I still earned more than you."_

"… _You cheated."_

"_I didn't cheat. I didn't have to – I had faith you'd be a destructive idiot on these missions like you are normally, and it was obviously well-placed."_

* * *

Knowing that he had terrible luck with property damage, challenging Gajeel to a contest to see who could come up with the most Jewels from collective jobs had been a pretty idiotic idea on his part. When had he _ever_ thought ahead before going through with a plan? Rarely so, but most of the time he was fine so it didn't matter. If something was a bad idea, he usually only realized it in retrospect. This time, though, his luck had run out. Gajeel had won, and did a damn good job of choosing something utterly embarrassing for him to do to uphold his end of the bet.

Dear Mavis, what had he been _thinking_?

* * *

"_Now, about your end of the bargain…"_

"_You're not going to make me dress up in a Happy suit like Erza and Mira did that one time, are you?"_

"_Remind me to ask them for pictures later… But no, I have something else for you to do; and there's certain rules you need to comply with…"_

"_Rrrgh. I hate rules."_

* * *

It wasn't only the future surefire humiliation that had Natsu annoyed and scowling. The aforementioned magnet face had reached outside their little game for two and gotten Lucy involved as well. He'd been fine up until that point; but really, why did Gajeel find it necessary to drag the blonde into their acts of stupidity?

The Fire Dragonslayer growled again and kicked a nearby rock to the side with his dragging sandal. He wasn't sure how he was even going to go about completing the task at hand! He supposed it was a good thing he was allowed to ask a fellow guild member for help, because otherwise he'd have absolutely no idea how he was supposed to do this right. No one would berate or blame him for the confusion had they known about his predicament, though.

Why, you ask? It was simple.

Natsu Dragneel had to ask Lucy Heartfilia to marry him.

* * *

And there it is. Short, SHORT prologue finished. Honestly, I'm not used to short chapters. Check _Identity_ or any of my oneshots, I usually go to at _least_ 2k.


	2. Day 1

So... That last manga update... Yeah no, I still think Rogue needs a new stylist. The asymmetry isn't doing it for me.

Along with possibly hiking up the rating later on (Just to let you all know), from this point on there's going to be a recurring theme with the chapter titles. Virtual cookies - And maybe a free art request - For the first person to figure it out.

* * *

_**Chapter 2 - Complicated**_

* * *

"I'm sorry… _What_?"

It was hard for Alzack to keep himself standing on his feet. Eyes growing wide in shock, the Guns Magic user carefully went over the request in his head. He hadn't been hearing things, right? Half of him wanted to believe he had just come from a drinking contest with Cana and was inebriated beyond belief. The other half was sure he was completely sober and was just having a hard time believing his ears.

"C-Could you… Could you say that again, Natsu?" he asked nervously. "I… I don't think I heard you correctly…"

"Man, are you getting old Alzack? You can't be _that_ hard of hearing already…" Natsu mused, unaffected by his guild mate's sudden jumpiness. Alzack continued stuttering.

"Ah- I- Err… My hearing's fine, it's just… Did you just ask what I _think_ you…?"

"What's wrong with you? I only asked if you could give me tell me how to ask Lucy to marry me!"

Alzack's mouth hung open. So he _hadn't_ been hallucinating. That wasn't much of a relief.

"N-Natsu… Where did this _come_ from all of a sudden…?"

Natsu opened his mouth to reply, but then remembered one of Gajeel's most important conditions. _"You are to not give any indication that this is the result of our bet."_ The iron-eater had drilled that into his head multiple times and with great emphasis until it finally stuck in Natsu's thick skull. Going against it would mean the end of the bet, and he'd have to give Gajeel all the Jewels he'd earned through those jobs they'd completed as part of their contest. Considering he needed the money, that wasn't a wise decision.

"I… Uhh…" Natsu scratched his head. How was he supposed to come up with an answer for that? He bit the inside of his cheek in contemplation. Maybe he should've thought of a cover story before asking for advice.

Alzack sighed heavily. "Look, Natsu… I can understand why you'd come to me for guidance in the romance department…" Natsu shrugged. Of course he had, barring the romance tidbit – Who better to go to than a married man? "But I don't think I'll be much help… For one obvious reason." That deflated the Dragonslayer's hopes a bit. What was the reason, anyway? "Thankfully, I know someone who could offer you some advice. Hang on a minute."

"Hey, wait-!"

Just like that, Alzack darted back to the guild in a hurry, leaving Natsu to stand outside alone. The rosette cursed, and folded his arms. _Damn it, what did he mean by he wouldn't be any help? _He wasn't an expert on the subject by any means – Hence him asking for advice in the first place – But shouldn't Alzack know about these types of things?

Natsu had gone specifically to Alzack since he was the best choice out of those who had been married. The man was reliable and quiet, and kept to himself – More so than the other members of the guild, anyway.

He'd first contemplated going to Macao or Wakaba for advice. Second thoughts assured him that that wouldn't be a good idea. Macao wasn't married anymore, so it was obvious to Natsu that the man had done something wrong; and Wakaba was… Wakaba. He didn't seem particularly happy with being married anyway, since he spent all of his time at the guild and constantly hit on other women. Not only that, but he doubted they could keep a secret if their lives depended on it.

Natsu then thought of asking Makarov, but shot down that idea as quickly as his first. The old man was a lecher and way too excitable. Plus, he told Mirajane _everything_; and if Mirajane learned any juicy gossip, it was guaranteed that the entire guild would know it by the end of the day. He'd lose his Jewels if anyone got wind of this.

This was exactly the reason why Natsu had pulled Alzack out of the guild and away. Eavesdropping was a natural skill that every wizard in Fairy Tail possessed, and with most of them it was impossible to turn it off. At least outside he'd be able to hear if there was anyone coming. The inside of the guild was noisy.

Natsu sensed Alzack's return, and caught a whiff of who he'd brought back with him on the air. It shouldn't have surprised him that the poncho-wearer would bring his favorite person to help.

"Natsu," Alzack started. "For help with this topic… It's better to go to Bisca." Natsu cocked his head to one side, taking in the green-haired woman's appearance.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because _I_ wasn't the one to propose. Bisca asked _me_ to marry _her_." Natsu blinked. Woman can ask men to marry them? He thought it had to be the other way around!

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Bisca inquired suspiciously. Her brow raised beneath her bangs. "Alzack, what's going on?" Alzack hummed apprehensively, playing with his fingers as he tried to find the nerve to get his words in the open. He finally pointed to his fellow male guild mate tiredly and said it straight out.

"Natsu wants to ask Lucy to marry him."

"_Ehhh_!?" Bisca stared at Natsu in shock, her eyes widened just as her husband's had earlier. "Are you _serious_!? Natsu, you're really going to propose to Lucy!?"

"Yeah," Natsu answered simply. "Why are you guys making such a big deal out of this?"

"It _is_ a big deal, you moron!" Bisca exclaimed. "You guys aren't even dating, and here you are proposing _marriage_!?"

"Gotta give him credit for being bold…" Alzack muttered.

"But you asked Alzack to get married and never dated," Natsu noted obliviously. "What's the difference?"

"You _weren't here_ for a while, _remember_ Natsu? Alzack and I _did_ date," Bisca corrected him. "For a couple of months, actually. Plus, we were partners long before that."

"Lucy and I are partners, too."

"It's not the same!"

"Why not?"

"Because you have no idea how Lucy feels about you!" Alzack coughed up a hidden phrase in which Natsu thought he heard the word 'hypocrite' involved. Bisca didn't seem notice, evidenced by her ongoing speech. "Even if _you_ like her in that way, there's no way a girl like that would agree without the two of you becoming an item first."

"An item?" Natsu repeated. "What does that mean?"

"Boyfriend and girlfriend."

"… Oh." Natsu wasn't sure why that was important. After all, this wasn't even real! This whole situation was quickly becoming way too complicated for him. He pondered whether or not he should just let this go, but then he remembered the alternative. _No, no… I need those Jewels for food after that one stupid night at the guild where I had to pay for the damages. No __**way**__ I'm gonna lose 'em._ "So are you gonna help me or not?"

"_Ugh_." Bisca massaged her temporal exasperatedly. "Natsu… I want you to be _absolutely sure_ that this is what you want to do before I tell you _anything_." Natsu frowned. Going around in circles with the conversation was beginning to get annoying.

"I just want to know the best way to propose to Lucy!"

"And you're _serious_?"

"How many times do I have to say it!?"

"I think he has to be, to bring it up at all," Alzack stepped back into the conversation. "Let's be honest. Natsu would never talk about marriage if he didn't have to – Especially not something of _this_ magnitude." Natsu pointed to Alzack, grateful for the older man's help.

"See? _He_ gets it!" Bisca held eye contact with Natsu for six serious seconds before sighing.

"Alright, then… Fine."

"You'll help!?" Natsu cheered. "Alright! Thanks, Bisca!"

"Don't thank me just yet," she interrupted his celebration. "I'm going to make a suggestion, Natsu. Before you even think about going up to Lucy and asking her to marry you… Ask her out on a date first."

"Huh? A date?" Natsu's brows furrowed.

"_Please_ tell me I don't have to explain what a date is to you…"

"No, I know what it is; but why do I have to ask Lucy out first?" He wanted this over with as soon as possible!

"It's just how things are done, Natsu. It's proper. You have to see how you guys work out in a romantic setting before you even _think_ about tying the knot, and Lucy has to be able to see you as something other than a walking ball of mass destruction."

"But-!" He was going to say that it didn't matter what Lucy thought or not, since he only needed to ask her. He wasn't looking for a response or anything, although Gajeel had told him to 'make it look good' and that he'd get more Jewels if something happened… The fire-breather wasn't sure what that meant at all.

Bisca wound up cutting him off sharply though, so none of his thoughts made it out of his head.

"No buts, Natsu. Dating first, marriage second."

"And kids third," Alzack added with a grin.

"Oh god, I'm not even going to go there…" Bisca muttered. Natsu blinked. Kids? Were they talking about Asuka?

"You can't tell me how to propose to Lucy, though?" Before Bisca could smack the pink-haired boy upside his head, Alzack answered,

"Natsu, if she told you exactly how to go about asking Lucy to marry you, it wouldn't be special. You have to figure these things out for yourself. Most likely, you'll come up with your own way after going on a couple dates and seeing what Lucy likes and expects from you."

"So going on dates will help me figure out how to ask her to marry me," Natsu put together aloud. _That_ much he understood; and he knew exactly who could help him out with it. He just hoped Gajeel would be alright with him asking one more person for help. His signature smile found its way to the surface. "Alright! Thanks you guys!"

Natsu waved and ran back to the guild in a hurry, the Guns Magic partners left behind wordlessly.

"I… I get the feeling he didn't understand most of that…" Bisca mumbled.

"Yeah…" Alzack agreed quietly. "I hope Lucy doesn't think he's joking. It's possible, but she might not take him seriously no matter what he does."

"That's only _one_ of the problems with this situation…"

"Think this is gonna end in a train wreck?"

"No doubt about it, especially since Natsu can't ride trains properly for his life."

* * *

I think that's the first time I've ever just written one scene for a whole chapter. Damn.

Still not comfortable with my chapter length, but I'd rather have a decent chapter and keep it short than expand it with useless bullshit.


	3. Day 2 (pt1)

I have no set schedule for this except "Hurry and write as fast as you can".

* * *

_**Chapter 3 - Making History**_

* * *

Natsu was second-guessing his decision as he made his way to the guild the next morning. He'd thought over it last night, which Happy had noticed and asked why he didn't seem like his normal self. (Was he really that different when he was thinking?)

More and more it sounded like a bad idea to ask someone how to ask Lucy out. He knew Alzack and Bisca would keep quiet about everything, but he didn't want to bother either of them again. He didn't want to depend too much on them for advice – Or seem stupid enough to have to ask them about every little detail. Those two were also some of the quietest and nicest in the guild, never taking a huge part in gossip. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the mages. If he asked anyone in Fairy Tail other than the Guns Magic users, he'd be screwed.

The only possible person he could ask was Levy. She was Lucy's best friend, so she knew lots of things about her that even Natsu himself didn't. However… While she was intelligent and fiercely loyal to the celestial mage, she wasn't entirely above the rest of the girls in the guild. She and the others ate up anything relating to Lucy's love life. Especially Mirajane. He didn't understand a lot of what she said, but Natsu knew that the former demon loved bugging Lucy about things like that.

The men weren't any better, evidenced by his initial thoughts of Macao, Wakaba, and the master. The only possible people he could maybe ask were Max or Warren, but as far as Natsu knew they'd never dated anyone. At best they probably knew only a bit more about the subject than he did. He didn't talk to them on a daily basis either. It might look weird just going up to them randomly; and they didn't know Lucy that well, so it would more than likely defeat the purpose of involving them at all.

So… He was on his own. Great.

"Natsu, are you sure you're okay?" Happy asked. Natsu put on a smile.

"No worries, buddy. I'm fine."

He wished.

* * *

"This isn't gonna work the way you want it to," Gajeel snorted, drumming his fingers on the table irritably. For this conversation, it was a good thing they were sitting so far in a corner. Levy continued reading through her newest book while scribbling things down on the side.

"As long as it works, I'm happy," she reassured him. Her quill continued to scratch the paper. "Don't get all huffy."

"I ain't huffy. If anything, I'm annoyed that you took my win from me," the Iron Dragonslayer grumbled. "I could've asked him to do anything if he lost – Not that there was any doubt I'd win – But you had to go and-!"

"This will be good for them!" Levy insisted, looking up from her book. Her writing stopped. "Lu-chan is so stubborn. She'll never admit anything… And I'm sure Natsu's not as dense as he seems, so why not try something with him? Anyway, you could've said no. So don't act pouty just because you don't get to humiliate Natsu in some way."

Gajeel grunted at that. Yes, he was pissed off over not getting the chance to have his fellow slayer look like a fool; more of fool than he was normally, anyway. He'd probably never get another chance. Yet how was he supposed to turn down the Solid Script mage when she looked at him with those huge, begging hazel eyes?

The shrimp may not have invented the puppy dog pout, but she definitely had it perfected.

"You know, despite all the rules and stuff you told me to give him, you're overestimating Salamander. You say he ain't that dense, but even _you_ have to admit that he ain't the brightest guy around."

"There's a difference between being dense and being stupid, Gajeel."

"Maybe, but the pyro's both." Gajeel folded his arms. "You're trying to play matchmaker like that demon woman, but you're forgetting that most of the stuff she comes up with doesn't work either. Whatever you're planning, it ain't happening."

"You wouldn't know exactly what I'm planning, anyway. Stop criticizing me."

"What the hell are you planning, anyway?"

"That's a secret," Levy stuck her tongue out, "but I thank you for letting me use you as a catalyst to get things started." Gajeel muttered something incomprehensible beneath his breath before catching a familiar scent on the air. It was overlaid with another fragrance, but still recognizeable.

"Oi, shrimp. Your first target's here."

"Huh?"

"Levy-chan, good morning!" Lucy called as she ran over to their table. Levy brightened instantly, turning on her stool to greet her friend.

"Good morning, Lu-chan! Did you sleep well?"

"Yup!" Lucy smiled. "I got more pages of my novel done last night, so I feel awesome today!"

"You got more of it done!?" Levy hopped up and grabbed Lucy's hands. "Does that mean I'll be able to read it soon!?"

"W-Well, I still have a couple more chapters to go, but…" Lucy laughed nervously. "I still plan on keeping my word, you know? You'll be the first one to get a look at it. I promise."

"Yay!" Levy retracted her hands and started another topic. "By the way, Lu-chan, you smell different… Did you change your shampoo or something?"

"Oh, you noticed, huh?" Lucy grinned. "I finally saved up enough Jewels to buy that perfume I'd been eyeing! You like it?"

"It's nice, Lu-chan! It's not heavy at all!"

"Oh, good… I was worried it was too overpowering! When I put it on it was the only thing I could smell in my room, so…"

"No worries, Lu-chan. It's the perfect amount! Do you think I could borrow it sometime?"

"Sure, Levy-chan!"

Gajeel growled at their chatter. He could only take so much squealing and gushing and girliness at once; and the blonde's perfume was enough to make him gag.

He never understood why women thought garbage like that would make them more attractive. It was a bunch of chemicals and filth that smelled like shit. Wendy agreed with him that their enhanced senses don't do them any favors in that respect, but her concurrence was tentative. There were some perfumes and fragrances she liked, she said. He'd scoffed at that. They were all terrible to him.

He was miraculously saved from having to hear or smell anything else unpleasant when Levy offered to buy Lucy some breakfast at a local café. Their talk continued as they made their way to the guild's entrance. Finally, he was alone.

* * *

"So is the Hanna Café any good, Levy-chan?" Lucy asked. Levy nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! Their food is great and totally within our budget! Lu-chan, you have to try one of their strawberry dishes. They're amazing!" As Lucy was about to agree, she spied a head of pink hair at the front of the guild.

"Good morning, Natsu! Hi, Happy!" Mirajane called to the two happily. Natsu waved at her.

"Yo, Mira! Any new missions come in?"

"None that aren't S-class. Sorry."

"Tch." The conversation was loud – Of course – And made Lucy want to sigh.

"I hope he's not planning on taking a higher class mission without permission again…"

"I don't think he would do that, Lu-chan," Levy assured her with a smile. "After the Galuna Island mission, I think he's had his share. Besides, he wouldn't want to risk getting put through _**that**_ again…"

"I still don't know what _**that**_ is, you know-"

"Oh, Lucy! You're here already!" Natsu interrupted her. "That's great!"

It really was great that she'd gotten here early. For all his confidence and fearlessness, Natsu's nerve would've likely disappeared the longer he went without talking to her. After all, if he was going to embarrass himself… He'd want to get it done with sooner rather than later.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy greeted him as the Dragonslayer walked over. "What's up? You need me for anything?" He wouldn't have said 'That's great' unless he did, right?

"Actually, yeah. I kinda'…" Natsu paused for a moment, "… need to talk to you about something." Lucy was completely oblivious to the way Levy stiffened up beside her.

"You mean you need a favor?" the blonde checked. Natsu shook his head.

"Not really… Sort of? I don't know, actually. Look, we-" All of a sudden, the fire-eater's eyes widened and his hands went to cover his face. "_Cripes_, what the hell is _that_!? Is that _you_, Luce!?" The whip-bearer flinched back at the outburst, unaware of Levy's mood deflating at an instant.

"Wha- What are you talking about, Natsu?" Lucy stuttered. "Do I smell funny, or something? Levy-chan, I thought you said the perfume smelled fine!"

"It does, Lu-chan!" Levy quickly said.

"Is _that_ what that is!? _Geez_!" Natsu stepped backwards and put some distance between them. "Luce, you smell _terrible_!" Whatever shock Lucy had gone into soured to anger quickly.

"I do not!" she insisted hotly. "I paid good money for this perfume, you know!"

"Well, get your money back or something! It's _rank_!"

"Heehee. Lucy's smells funny."

"I _heard_ that, you stupid cat!"

From the back of the guild, Gajeel's laugher could be heard.

"I can't believe how insensitive you are! No, you can't just say 'I don't like it'. You have to tell me I _smell terrible_!? What is _wrong_ with you!? And this is how you start off when you need to ask me for a favor!?"

"It's not a favor!" Natsu snapped, hands remaining over his nose. "I was _going_ to say we should go on a date, but if you're gonna wear that stuff then _forget_ it!"

Any person in the guild hall who wasn't paying attention to their argument was now directing their full attention to them. Lucy blinked.

"I'm sorry… What? I don't think I heard you correctly, Natsu. Take your hands away from your face." Reluctantly, the Dragonslayer did as she told him.

"I _said_," he began exasperatedly, "that I was trying to tell you that we should go on a date."

Conversations around them ceased entirely. Gajeel's laughter stopped. Mirajane stopped cleaning the bar. Levy was just plain confused. She was certain that hadn't been something she'd indirectly told Natsu to do. So why was he…?

Lucy had gone pale and speechless in the meantime.

"I'm gonna go air my nose out," Natsu said, unaware of the atmosphere around him. "I'll ask you later when that stuff wears off of you. See ya!"

The rosette casually ran out the way he came in, leaving behind the longest silence Fairy Tail had ever been through.

"What… just…" Lucy fumbled around for words. "Did… Did he just…?"

"What's going on here?" The few people who weren't frozen in shock turned around and saw Erza walking in from outside with Pantherlily. The Exceed hovered beside her, arms folded.

"We go out to spar and come back to find your voices have gone missing?" he snickered. "Seriously, this is the first time I've seen a quiet moment in this guild since I arrived here."

"Did something happen?" Erza asked again. Even Mirajane was finding herself at a loss for words.

"N-Natsu… He…"

"He asked Lucy out on a date!" Laki exclaimed from somewhere. "Natsu asked Lucy out on a date!" Only then did the words sink into everyone's brains. With the confirmation that they hadn't been hallucinating, the guild returned to its normal decibel level.

"We all heard that, right!?"

"I… I'm finding it hard to believe, but…"

"Waaah! Natsu, you're not supposed to grow up!"

"Happy, everyone grows up at some point."

"I swear, I had too much to drink."

"It's still morning, Cana."

"That's my point!"

The only people who weren't sharing in the uproar were Levy, Gajeel, and the rest of Team Natsu.

"Gray." The ice wizard glanced at Erza as she made her way over to the bar. "Is this true?"

"As unbelievable as it sounds, it is." Gray folded his arms. "And by that, I mean I honest to god can't believe what I just heard. Flame Brain doesn't even know what a date _is_."

"Well, that obviously isn't stopping him!" Mirajane interjected from out of nowhere, scaring the shirt off of Gray. "Isn't it cute? Natsu wants to go on a date with Lucy!"

"I wouldn't call it cute, actually-"

"Can you guys just _think_ of the possibilities?" Mirajane continued hastily. "What if they get married someday? Ooooh, their kids will be _adorable_!"

"The thought of that pyro breeding with anything, nevermind an actual girl, is scary as hell," Gray muttered. "Right, Erza?"

"I- I suppose any children of Lucy's would be cute…" the redhead stuttered, red-faced and wide-eyed. Gray groaned in frustration.

"Everyone in this guild is _crazy_…" _Though I guess the craziest one here would be Lucy, if she goes along with this…_ Lucy. Right. What did she think of this? Gray glanced towards the guild hall's entrance, where Levy was waving her hand in front of her best friend's face. He blinked. "Uhh. You guys? I think Lucy broke."

"Hmm?" Mirajane peered over at the blonde with an unwavering smile. "Ah, she's still in shock. Doesn't surprise me. Don't worry, she'll be back to normal in no time!"

"You sure about that, Mira? Because she hasn't moved since Cinder-Butt left."

"Want I should administer a wake-up call to her?"

"Erza, I don't think Lucy could handle one of your wake-up calls…"

* * *

"Lu-chan? Lu-chan, are you alright in there?" Levy asked worriedly. Her friend had all but turned to stone within the past minutes, barely responding to the bookworm's voice. "Lu-chan, if you can hear me-!"

"I… can…" the blonde's voice cracked. "Did he… Did I…?"

"Lu-chan, how about we go to that café I was talking about?" Levy suggested. "A nice breakfast will help clear your head!"

"A-Alright…" Levy didn't hesitate to pull her friend along by her wrist. The sooner they left the guild, the better it would be for Lucy.

Gray wished the bluenette luck before narrowing his eyes. Something about this whole situation seemed… Implausible. He _could_ chalk it up to him not getting along with Natsu, but somehow he didn't think their rivalry was a factor here. He knew the Dragonslayer well – Whether the hothead would agree with that or not – And dating was at the top of the list of things Natsu Dragneel didn't understand. (Or care about, for that matter.)

No, something was definitely off here; and he was going to find out what it was.

"Gray! Where are your pants!?"

But first, he needed to find his clothes.

* * *

A pantless Gray is the best Gray.


	4. Day 2 (pt2)

I have spent the past three weeks marathoning Marvel movies, getting the rest of my Elsword characters to level 40, and rereading Detective Conan from scratch.

I'm not sorry.

* * *

_**Chapter 4 - Making History (Continued)**_

* * *

"Oh, man… That's _much_ better."

Natsu stretched his arms above his head and smiled as he leaned against the hilltop's solitary tree. The nearby park gave a great view of Magnolia since it was outside the town limits, and also offered a wonderful breeze that helped with his olfactory-related headache. The terrible stench that had plagued his nose was now completely gone; but he hadn't expected any other outcome after walking around the restaurant area of Magnolia.

More than once he contemplated buying something just because of how delicious the air smelled. He was quickly reminded of his budget every time. While by no means a cheap person, he wanted to collect income from a mission before splurging again. Maybe a monster-slaying job, this time… If Erza would let him come along on an S-Class mission again, that is.

Should he head back to the guild? Natsu hummed to himself. He left in such a hurry to get away from Lucy's perfume that he didn't get to talk to everyone. Not that he _wanted_ to talk to everyone…

"So _this_ is where you were, ash-for-brains."

Natsu grimaced as Gray's scent closed in on his own. No, he most certainly did _not_ want to talk to _everyone_.

"What the hell do you want, Frosty the Snow-Freak?" he snapped. "I was actually enjoying myself here."

"I don't care whether you enjoy yourself or not," Gray snorted. "Though with that little show you put on at the guild, I'm the slightest bit concerned for your head." Natsu raised a brow.

"_What_ show? I don't remember doing anything like that. Or are you talking about when I said I hated Lucy's perfume?"

"_No_, you _idiot_. I'm _talking_ about when you _asked her out_." Natsu seemed genuinely surprised by this.

"But I didn't ask her out."

"Yes, you _did_. In front of _the entire guild_, minus Erza and Lily."

"No I didn't," Natsu insisted. "I didn't wanna ask her out while she smelled bad. I told her I'd try again once that gross perfume wears off of her." Gray stared at his teammate with the flattest expression he could muster.

"Are you _really_ this stupid? You may not think you did-"

"I didn't!"

"- But you indirectly announced to Lucy and everyone in Fairy Tail that you were at least _planning_ on asking her out."

"Oh." Natsu shrugged. "Cool! That just makes this easier for me."

"… You're serious, Natsu?" Gray asked. "You're serious about taking Lucy out on a date."

"Yup."

"_Yup_? You put half the guild into a coma with that and all you can say is '_yup'_?"

"What am I _supposed_ to say?"

"How about the truth?" Gray's hands – Naturally – Found their way into his pockets. "Come on. You're too stupid and dense to take interest in the opposite sex. Everyone knows that."

"I ain't stupid," Natsu grunted, channeling his inner Gajeel. "And there's no 'truth', bastard. I'm being straight with this. Also, you're calling me _dense_-?"

"Don't even deny it," Gray cut him off. "You're so dense your head would sink to the bottom of a tar pit. This is why I'm letting some concern shine through."

"Aww, I didn't know you cared," Natsu sniggered. "You must really like me."

"I'm not talking about _you_, Soot Balls! I'm talking about _Lucy_! You have no idea what the hell you're doing, and if you're not careful you're going to end up really hurting her!" At that, Natsu suddenly became very serious. He pushed himself to his feet and stalked over to Gray angrily.

"_Listen_, Ice Princess. I would _never_ hurt Lucy," he growled. "_Ever_. And if you think I would purposely try to hurt her, you're out of your damn-!"

"I'm not saying you would do it on purpose!" Gray cut him off. "You're so emotionally inexperienced that you wouldn't even _realize_ you'd caused her pain!"

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"I'm talking about you two! Do you even know how to treat girls properly!?"

"Like I do everyone else. Duh." Gray was beginning to think that nobody would question his actions if he managed to pull all of his hair out of his head due to Natsu-induced stress.

"You _moron_, you don't treat girls like everyone else! _Especially_ not a girl you're dating!" Gray heaved a long breath before continuing his rant. "Aside from _that_, what if it doesn't work out between you two? Our team would be _ruined_." Natsu's attention peaked again.

"Wait, our team would be-? Why?"

"See? _This_ is what I mean by emotionally inexperienced." Gray ran a hand through his bangs. "Natsu, if by some chance you do end up dating Lucy – And believe me, there's hardly a chance she'll say yes – There will always be the possibility that it could go south. You might argue and separate, and try going back to the simple, strange relationship you had before. It would never be the same, though. Whatever relationship you have after that would be strained to hell and back. You wouldn't work together as well, and that in turn could ruin missions for you and us."

Natsu's eyes widened. He didn't understand most of what Gray was saying, but one thing was clear as an infant's conscience: Going through with this date could mean ruining their teamwork and their job requests. That was a huge risk, and with Lucy's temper nothing was certain. He had no idea how girls' minds worked, let alone someone like _hers_.

Yet… It wasn't a proven fact that relationships were destroyed by dating. It definitely wasn't, given the small Midwest clothing-clad child that had been running around the guild for the past couple of years.

"Do you understand, Natsu?" Gray questioned him, trying to catch his attention again. "Do you understand the risks? You could be ruining everything between you two and our team – At worst, the entire guild."

"… Then I'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen, won't I?" Natsu steeled himself against his rival, fists clenched at his sides. With narrowed eyes, he said, "Nothing is going to change between me and Lucy. You're wrong. I'll prove it to you."

_Of course things are going to change between you,_ Gray thought to himself. Whether this ended on a good note or in a disaster… One way or another, their relationship was never going to be as it was yesterday or today; but perhaps it was best for Natsu to figure this out for himself. The ice mage sighed heavily.

"Fine. I'll go with this… For now."

"Glad you're gonna stop bugging me, Captain Underpants," Natsu snorted. "Now leave me alone. I'm gonna go back to the guild in a bit to find Lucy."

The Dragonslayer didn't delay with his departure. Gray's eyes followed him until he disappeared down the hill.

He wasn't quite convinced Natsu could pull through, or if he was even doing this by your own conscience, but he'd wait and see how this unwraps. His eyes would be open to every little thing the pyro did. He'd wait for him to slip up and screw himself over. Because no matter what logic Gray used, something still seemed very wrong this set-up – _Like it was doomed to fail from the start_ – And he'd be damned if he sat back and let his teammates get hurt because of it.

Lucy came to mind first. That girl was much more intelligent than she gave herself credit for, but also very sensitive in relation to her friends. If Natsu screwed this up, she wouldn't be the same. The worst part was that, given how he bounced back from even the most terrible situations, Natsu probably _would_ be.

_God_, what a mess this was already turning out to be.

Gray hoped she would either turn Natsu down flat and save them all the trouble, or at least be able to handle the downfall of a relationship with an extremely close friend.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the heart of Magnolia, two girls were in a similar state of mind and dealing with a somewhat different topic.

"Lu-chan, why don't you eat anything?" Levy asked as she scooped a forkful of banana pancakes into her mouth. Lucy continued staring down at her plate, food untouched but still warm.

"Levy-chan, this is… This is just _wrong_…"

"Did the waiter get your order wrong? I'll call him over for you-"

"Not that," Lucy said. "You know what I mean…" Levy put her fork down.

"Don't you want to eat before we continue this conversation? Food always helps clear the mind! I would know." The bookworm smiled. "I also know that your waffles will taste better when they're not cold." Lucy looked between her friend and her strawberry-topped breakfast, trying to decide her path.

"Can we discuss this while we eat?" she suggested. "We're both good at multitasking, so it shouldn't be too difficult…"

"Fair enough, Lu-chan!" Levy carved a slice of banana out of a pancake and popped it into her mouth. "I'm not sure why you're so hung up over this, though. All you have to do is give Natsu a yes or no! In my opinion, you should go for it."

"But… It's _Natsu_," Lucy insisted. "Up until today, he gave absolutely no indication that he even thought girls were different from guys…"

"There was the time he spied on us at the hot springs, though."

"Eh?" Lucy's head jerked up in surprise. "When was this?"

"Our training trip," Levy said. "He, Gray, Jet, and Droy tried to peep. Erza killed their foreheads before they could get a glimpse at anything though."

"… How do you know this?"

"Happy tattled on them to me by accident."

"And you're not angry?"

"It was a while ago. I don't hold onto anger like that. Hey, wait a minute…" Levy shook her head. "Let's get back to our original topic. Lu-chan, why don't you want to give Natsu an answer?"

"It's not that I don't want to give him an answer, it's that I don't _have_ an answer for him!" Lucy exclaimed. "I have no idea what I want to say to him! I don't even know if I can _face_ him after that! And did you hear what he said about my perfume-!?"

"Just don't wear any on your date," Levy answered simply.

"We're not going on a date!"

"So you're going to tell him no?"

"I-! I don't know, Levy-chan! What should I do?"

"I can't decide for you, Lu-chan. I can only give my opinion."

"Yeah… And your opinion coincides with just about everyone else's…" Lucy groaned and poked at her waffles with her fork. "I guess it's futile to ask for an opinion if that's true, then…"

"You shouldn't go my opinions, anyway," Levy said. "How can you expect to be happy if you do that? Only you know what you want to do."

"No, I don't; and that's the problem! I mean… I guess I can't call Natsu a terrible boyfriend candidate. He's kind, loyal, strong, not that bad looking… But… It's _Natsu_."

"We've established that, Lu-chan."

"I'm serious, Levy-chan!"

"Then give a better reason to say no than the fact that he's _Natsu_," Levy advised her gently.

"How about the fact that he has no idea what that kind of relationship entails? He wouldn't know the first thing about being someone's date."

"Then teach him!" Levy suggested. "He has to learn at some point in his life, so why not now?"

"He doesn't have the attention span to learn anything that doesn't involve fighting, food, or the guild."

"He does if it's something important to him. Here's some old news, Lu-chan… You _are_ important to him. So he'll definitely listen to you." Lucy fidgeted in her seat.

"But…"

"Let me put it in this context, Lu-chan," Levy began. "If there wasn't some part of you that wanted to go on a date with Natsu, even if it's just a small part… Would you _really_ be this conflicted over it?"

Lucy's brown eyes grew in size. _Was_ she conflicted over this? She had no reason to be. She and Natsu were platonic teammates and she was fine with that. Everyone but Mirajane was fine with that. She couldn't deny the small curiosity she had to see Natsu attempt to act like a sane human being with actual feelings for another person, but… It was _Natsu_.

Like _that_ counted as an actual reason. Listing the pros and cons to his personality, that was actually more of a reason to want to accept his offer. _But the cons on the list are the destructive and insensitive parts of him that dominate how he acts,_ Lucy reminded herself. _And __**that**__ is something I don't want to have to deal with up close._

"How about this then, Lu-chan?" Levy interrupted her thought process. "If you truly weren't conflicted over this, then why haven't you realized that our waiter's been coming onto you whenever he gets the chance?"

"Eh!?" Lucy looked around the restaurant, trying to find said waiter. "He has!?"

"Yup," Levy confirmed with a smile. "He talks to you more than me and he sounds completely different when he does… Not to mention he's staring at you from across the room." Levy pointed a discreet finger to behind Lucy. The celestial mage turned around cautiously, not sure of what she'd see.

She quickly found she had no reason for caution. The man was tall, dark-skinned, and had blonde hair. He was busy cleaning his glasses at the moment, but once he put them back on his green eyes met with her brown ones. Noticing her stare, the waiter flashed a grin and waved. Lucy quietly waved back before turning around.

"Alright… That guy is _so_ good-looking," she said under her breath.

"I know, Lu-chan."

"… And I didn't notice _that_?"

"Nope, not in the slightest."

"My god, I need help."

"No, you're just hung up over a certain pink-haired fire-breather." Lucy glared at her friend. The bluenette's grin all of a sudden seemed much more mocking than before.

"Levy-chan, you're not helping me."

"I'm trying, but it's not my fault my advice isn't sinking in!"

"Your advice was to say yes!"

"It wasn't bad advice, either. You go out with Natsu once, and if it's a horrible time you don't do it again; but if you say no, you'll constantly be wondering whether or not turning him down was the right decision. Simple as that!" Lucy laughed internally.

Simple. Right. When was anything involving Natsu ever _simple_?

Something in Lucy's peripheral vision distracted her. "Ah, Levy-chan. Your fanclub is here to see you."

"My what?" Levy followed her best friend's gaze and saw Jet and Droy at the entrance of the café. Levy blinked. "What in the-? What are they _doing_ here?"

From the way the two boys was bossing the head waiter around, it was clear they wasn't here to eat. The poor man on the receiving end of their loud voices pointed to their table and backed away. Their expressions change when they found the girls.

"Levy!" Jet cried as they made their way over to them.

"Lucy! Here you are!" Droy called. "Are you finished here yet?"

"We're not, actually," Levy replied calmly, still shocked at the appearance of Shadow Gear's boys. "Why?"

"Erza's looking for the rest of the team," Jet explained. "She's going to take on one of the S-Class missions that came in, and she needs your help!"

"She needs _my_ help?" Lucy repeated skeptically. "I don't think-"

"She needs all of your team," Droy continued. Jet nodded.

"At the very least, she wants you all to come with her; and if I were you, I wouldn't keep her waiting."

"A-Alright, then…"

"Speaking of waiting; I'll call your admirer over, Lu-chan," Levy giggled teasingly. "He can wrap up your dish to go so you can finish it later." 'Finish' as in 'start'; Lucy hadn't touched her waffles the entire time, despite her suggestion that they should eat and converse at the same time.

"Don't call him that, Levy-chan," Lucy hushed her. "It's embarrassing."

"I'd hurry up with calling him over though," Jet said. "Erza's already gotten certified to take the job. Master told her she can leave whenever she wants, and you _know_ she doesn't like it when people keep her waiting." The four Fairy Tail wizards suffered a consecutive shudder. Yes, they knew that about Erza very well. Even seconds late could cost you a limb.

"We already talked to the other two," Droy added. "They're on their way to the guild as we speak."

"If you hurry, you can probably give Natsu an answer before you all leave," Jet teased. Levy elbowed him in the gut.

Lucy blanched. That's right… Natsu would be there. She didn't expect anything else. She could picture just how excited he'd be to be going on an S-Class quest… Hopefully enough to divert his attention from her for the time being; at the very least, until she decided what she wanted her answer to be.

Neither of them could afford the distraction. For now, there was a mission at hand.

* * *

Damn it, still haven't reached over 3k on a chapter yet!


	5. Day 3 (pt1)

Hey hey, finally a chapter that meets my personal length requirements!

I _told_ you I would continue ASAP! Now if only I didn't have to rely on Google Drive for it... My internet is so spotty with this temporary laptop, it's so difficult to get a good session of writing in. (For the record, GDrive has a really weird spellcheck system... Please let me know if you spy any errors.)

On another note, my main character on Elsword finally capped! No more levels to climb for now, which means less time spent on there. Which means good things for you guys.

I've delayed this long enough.

* * *

_**Chapter 5 - Rivalry**_

* * *

Lucy wasn't sure what to think when she entered the guild for a second time and saw Natsu and Gray furiously doing push-ups side-by-side with Happy cheering them on from a safe distance. Normally the only odd thing about this would be them within proximity of each other and not fighting. What had the celestial mage confused was Erza lying across their backs and reading a Heart Kreuz catalog.

"Levy-chan? Umm… What are they-?"

"I don't know." Levy laughed airily. "Some new form of punishment?" Erza glanced away from her reading long enough to greet the blonde and the Shadow Gear trio.

"Ah, you're finally back," she said. "Lucy, I thought I mentioned that I wanted you here as soon as possible. Jet, Droy, did I not request you give Lucy my full message?"

"We gave it to her," Jet replied. "Everything you said."

"Then why are you all six minutes late?"

"Well…! First we had to find where Lucy and Levy were!" Droy began. "And then we all had to get back!"

"Why didn't you run if you knew you were going to be late?"

"I can't run!"

"I was addressing Lucy."

"Err…" Lucy smiled nervously. "Sorry, Erza… I… didn't think it would take that long…"

"It did." Erza closed her catalog and looked at her makeshift chair. "Natsu, Gray, you may stop now."

"Thank god…" the fire and ice mages muttered consecutively as their arms gave out. Erza hopped off of them gracefully and walked towards the incoming group. Levy frowned.

"Erza, how long were they going like that?" she asked.

"I had them exercising since I got the mission approved," the Requip mage explained. "They were to stay like that until you all got back as punishment for fighting."

"Way to go with being late, Lucy…" Natsu muttered beneath his breath.

"Stop your complaining, Natsu. Or next time I'll give the two of you something harder to waste your time with." At the threat, Gray kicked Natsu with his knee.

"Shut _up_, man. Don't get her pissed off."

"Don't tell me what to do, asshole."

"Ah, uhh… Sorry, guys," Lucy apologized. "Like I said, I didn't think it would take that long for us to get back to the guild."

"And as _I_ said, it _did_." Erza folded her arms. "And because of your lateness, we've missed the train we have to take to get to Suzuran Village. We'll have to go tomorrow thanks to you."

"B-But-! It was only a few minutes!" Lucy protested. "How is the time that strict if we're just going to a town!?" _More importantly, why wouldn't you have told me this in advance!?_

"It's a village, not a town. Only one train per day gets close to Suzuran because it's just south of the mountains." Out of nowhere, Erza pulled up a map of Fiore and pointed to an upper corner. "The village is over here, and we'd be getting off at the station a few miles from it. No train goes directly there because of its location."

"The mountains?"

"And the mines!" Levy interjected. "The mines are the reason too, right?" Erza nodded.

"Correct. A train would only disturb the mines with the vibrations and noise."

"So why are we going out to the middle of nowhere?" Lucy asked.

"One of the S-class missions that came in today deal with the mines we're talking about. A monster has inhabited them and I figure we're fit to handle it."

"Damn straight!" Natsu yelled as he sprang up from the floor. "I love jobs where we get to destroy things!"

"Hooray for Natsu's fast recovery!" Happy cheered. Gray got up at a much slower speed, not as energized by the idea of destruction.

"You don't get to go all out, stupid," he grunted. "We have to _pay_ for what's in the mines if we cause them any harm. Not like I'm expecting anything in there to really _break_, but can you imagine the _Jewels_ we'd have to dish out if something _did…_?"

"Wait a second… If we're going to a mine… Shouldn't Natsu stay out of it?" Lucy suggested. "Wouldn't his fire be really dangerous…?"

"I ain't staying out of nothing!" Natsu snapped. "Like I'd miss a chance to go on an S-class quest!"

"It's not the type of mine you're thinking of, Lucy," Erza said. "The mines contain nothing flammable. They're diamond mines."

"Duh… _Diamond_ mines!?" the other two girls shrieked. Jet and Droy's jaws dropped.

"N-No way… You guys get to go to a diamond mine…?"

"You're so lucky!"

"Can you imagine what it must look like, Lu-chan!?" Levy exclaimed.

"Don't misunderstand," Erza cut in before Lucy could reply. "Nothing it that mine will be coming back with us. We're only going to take care of what the mission requests. I assure you; any stolen diamonds will _not _get past me." Jet and Droy's moods visibly dropped. Levy shrugged.

"Oh, well… Too bad, I guess."

"Still," Lucy said dreamily. "It must be really pretty down there when the diamonds catch a light source… I can just imagine how beautiful and romantic it would be to see that with someone!" Behind her, Jet and Droy wisely kept their mouths shut. Levy was far less concerned with teasing her best friend.

"You wouldn't be talking about Natsu, would you Lu-chan~?" she whispered deviously. Lucy's face colored as she remembered the day's earlier events.

"Th-That's not funny, Levy-chan!" she hissed back. _Ugh! And I'd just put that out of my mind… _Their exchange seemed to job Erza's memory as well.

"Oh, that's right. You and Natsu have some unfinished business, don't you? Do you two need to talk? I will clear the area if you require-"

"No, no we don't!" Lucy interrupted. "Nobody needs to talk about anything! Let's focus on the mission for now, okay Erza? _Please_?"

"Very well." Erza acknowledged the request with a simple nod. "If you somehow manage to get to the station on time tomorrow," Lucy winced at her choice of words, "we depart at ten sharp. Bring enough supplies for a few days, plus enough snacks for more than that. You know what bottomless pits Natsu and Gray can be." Ignoring the protests from the mentioned boys, Lucy asked,

"Can't they bring their own food? Why do I have to bring the snacks?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because you were late."

Lucy groaned.

* * *

Erza didn't have much else to say on the mission matter. The request wasn't very specific with the description of the supposed monster they needed to defeat, merely stating that it had taken up residence in the local mines and nothing the villagers did could flush it out or chase it away. Makarov figured it wasn't that they were withholding information, but that none of them have seen the creature in the flesh. The mines were somewhat difficult to get into and if there was suspicion of dangerous activity or risk of collapse, no one would enter.

Nevertheless, not many guilds specialized in monster-slaying. Makarov knew Fairy Tail had capable enough wizards for the job.

After the mission rundown, Lucy found there was little to do in the guild. She also discovered that even if there had been things to do, she would've inadvertently run into one of the more gossip-hungry members of the guild no matter what. Cana and Mirajane were the biggest offenders of popping out of nowhere to ask when her date with Natsu was.

Irritated, embarrassed stress got the better of the blonde quickly. She left with her packaged breakfast after Natsu tried asking her if they could get lunch somewhere. The stares she got when he asked bore into her skull, adding to the already-intolerable pressure she felt. By Natsu's vacantly friendly face, it was clear he felt none of it. That was enough for her to finally get out of there.

Natsu, in the meantime, wasn't sure what he'd done wrong.

"I just wanted to get some food," he'd pouted with folded arms. "Geez. What's her problem?"

Lisanna attempted to explain to him what was going through Lucy's head at the moment, but gave up once it was clear nothing she said was getting through to him.

"Mira-nee, I pity Lucy…" she mumbled. "Natsu has so much to learn."

"Let him learn, then." Mirajane smiled innocently. "If anyone can teach him a thing or two about relationships, it's Lucy! … Or maybe not." The Satan Soul user hummed to herself. "She's never been in one herself, right? So maybe she _wouldn't_ know!"

"M-Mira-nee… Have some faith in Lucy," Lisanna chuckled nervously. Mirajane shrugged.

"Oh well. What's done is done. Let's just let things play out as they should."

Lisanna didn't know about that. For some reason, she got the feeling her older sister wouldn't be leaving this alone at all.

* * *

"_Yosh_! Let's get a good night's sleep, Happy!"

"Aye sir!"

Natsu and Happy jumped to their respective hammocks, swinging from the force of their jump. Natsu stretched his arms out over his head and arched his back.

"Oh, man. Can you believe it? We finally get a real monster-slaying mission! _Legally_!" he exclaimed happily. "I'm so excited I don't think I could sleep!"

"Sleep is good for you though, Natsu," Happy said matter-of-faculty. "Let's hope you don't destroy the diamonds!"

"Even _I_ can't destroy diamonds," Natsu snorted. "Especially if I don't _try_ to." He wouldn't deny the amount of pride he'd have if he _could_ destroy them, though. It'd be one more thing he could do and Gray couldn't.

"Do you think the monster eats cats?" Happy asked.

"We don't know what kind of monster it is, Happy! I can't answer that."

"But I don't want to be eaten!"

"Then stay by me and I'll protect you!" Happy didn't look certain of this plan. Natsu had little control of his flames when he got excited, and the Exceed didn't want to be burned.

"I hope it likes you guys better than it likes cats… No offense."

"None taken, buddy. If it does like humans better, no need to worry. We can all take care of ourselves!"

"If it likes humans, I'll _definitely_ stick by you, Natsu. Unlike a certain someone else, no monster would _dare_ get near _you_!"

"Damn straight-! Wait, who are you talking about?" Natsu blinked. Happy did the same.

"Lucy, I mean! Celestial spirits aren't really meant for battling monsters, are they? Not like your flames or Erza's swords."

"Lucy'll be fine, Happy. She's got Loke, remember?"

"Oh, right! Loke's a great fighter! He's a cat, so of course he is!" Suddenly, Happy's tail curled up into a coil. "I wonder what Loke would say if he knew you asked his master out…"

Natsu rolled his eyes. Why wouldn't people stop _bugging_ him about this already? And here he thought he had some sanctuary in his own home. Happy was going to get it later.

"Loke can say whatever he wants. I don't care." He hardly took the lion spirit seriously, anyway. Loke was a jokester and a flirt, but meant no harm.

"He's super protective of Lucy, though. Aren't you worried he'll come after you?"

"Nah. He's strong, but I'm stronger. Anyway, why would he come after me?"

"Wow. Good night, Natsu!"

"Eh? Hey, wait a minute! The hell are you talking about, Happy?"

The Exceed was asleep quickly – Probably faking it – And did not reply to him. Natsu grumbled. Great. Something else to confuse him. Like he didn't get enough of that from his conversation with Gray.

Clearly his friend wasn't going to answer him tonight. Natsu made himself more comfortable in his hammock and tried for his own bout of sleep. He'd pester Happy tomorrow.

* * *

Lucy thought the day of the mission would, unlike yesterday, start out with a great mood and continue that way. During the train ride, she came to the conclusion that having peace of mind was nigh impossible.

The celestial mage felt a heavy presence the entire time they rode towards Suzuran. She didn't like it. It reminded her too much of the premonition she'd felt years ago during the scuffle with Koda and Cyander. Something bad was going to happen soon. She didn't know why or _how_ bad it would be, but that only made her more nervous.

It didn't seemed neither Gray nor Natsu felt it, though with Natsu the only thing she could make out of his expression was pure mental and physical torture due to being on a moving vehicle. If Erza felt it, she showed no hint of worry.

The feeling didn't subside when they actually got off the train and began the walking distance to Suzuran Village. If anything, Lucy was only growing more anxious by the second. While the boys and Happy dug through her backpack for any scrap of food, the celestial mage walked ahead to talk with Erza.

"A feeling, you say?" The redhead's eyebrow rose. "What kind of feeling?"

"I… I'm not sure," Lucy admitted quietly. "It's just… Something tells me coming here was a bad idea. Are you sure that was a real job request this time?"

"Are you referring to the fake wyvern job from before?"

"Ahh… I wasn't, but that's an even better point." Lucy frowned. "Last time you took up a monster hunting job that didn't list a lot of information, Elfman had to carry you back to the guild. It was a trap, remember?"

"I have gotten much stronger since then," Erza insisted calmly. "I will no longer be surprised by ambushes, nor will I ever again be naive enough to walk into one; and that request was something I'd taken up alone. This time I have you, Natsu, and Gray to back me up."

"W-Well, I don't know about _me_, but I guess you have a point…"

It seemed Erza wasn't moving on the topic, so Lucy backed down. They were almost at the village border, anyway. She didn't want to upset their clients with her uneasiness.

* * *

"So Master Makarov was correct to assume that none of the villagers have ever seen this monster before?"

"Yes... Unfortunately, that is the situation at hand…" the village headman Sylfa stared at the ground as he guided Team Natsu around Suzuran. The middle-aged blond seemed fretful and worried; much like Lucy herself was feeling on the inside. "We'd like to go down and check to make sure, but with how difficult getting in and out of the mines is I'm afraid we'd never make it out on time if our lives were at stake. As much as we're hunters, we're not people who go looking for fights. We'd rather keep to ourselves." Sylfa stroked his moustache in thought. "Not only that, but the ones qualified and skilled enough to go down there are the ones we need most for hunting... Losing just one could mean less food and resources."

"So what kind of animals do you hunt around here, anyway?" Natsu interjected. Gray jabbed him in the side again.

"Not the time, moron…"

"Your concern is well-grounded, then," Erza continued on. "I'm sure your people appreciate that you hesitate to put them in situations that might become dangerous."

"I'm sure they do as well," Sylfa said. "I don't mean to sound rude, but they're very glad you're going to be the ones risking your lives instead of them."

"All in a day's work!" Natsu exclaimed cheerily. "Fairy Tail's always got you covered!"

"I'm not sure about the 'risking our lives' part, though…" Lucy murmured. No one else seemed to share her worry.

"In which direction is the infested mine?" Erza asked. "The sooner we learn where our skills are needed, the sooner you can all be free of the menace and the job can be completed." Sylfa merely pointed down the street they were walking on.

"Exit the village that way and continue on," he explained. "It isn't too far."

"Thank you."

"Hey, old man," Gray began. "If you don't mind me asking... You guys live this close to a goldmine-"

"_Diamonds_, stupid," Natsu interrupted him with a snort. "Not gold."

"Idiot, I wasn't being literal! I meant to say that there's a damn lotta' money they could make with what they've got in there!" Gray snapped. Turning back to Sylfa, he continued, "That being said, you and your people are pretty much sitting on a mountain of Jewels, but it doesn't look like you utilize it. Why don't you guys cash in?"

"You're not the first to pose that question, young man," Sylfa said evenly, "and you most likely won't be the last. However, it answers itself. Once you get to the mines I think you'll have an easy time figuring out why we can make no business from harvesting diamonds." Gray raised a brow.

"Is that so?" Truthfully, he couldn't think of a reason at all. It made little sense that you wouldn't at least take a gem or two for yourself when you have a ton of them within reasonable walking distance. He'd trusts the man's words and see for himself.

"Can we go now?" Natsu groaned. "Enough talking already! I wanna see what kind of monster we're dealing with!"

"Natsu, you're too eager," Lucy sighed.

"He's always like that," Happy added.

"Not completely out of place, though," Erza said. "Let's move out. We have a monster to take down." Natsu cheered happily, arms stretched upwards to illustrate his joy.

* * *

As they walked out past the village borders, Lucy stayed towards the back of the group. Something was not right here. Why didn't this feel like it was going to be as easy as the others thought it would?

The vague description they were given likely had something to do with it.

"_Beware of the cold, for that means it's awake and roaming..."_

The last words Sylfa had given them. They were too ominous for her liking. The whole situation was ominous. Villagers only having gotten close to the mine to feel temperature change in the air and hear the roars coming from inside... It was like something out of a book she'd read.

Not for the first time, Lucy wished for the best and hoped she was just being paranoid.

* * *

The entrance was nothing spectacular. If Lucy hadn't known beforehand it was a mine, she'd have thought it was the mouth to a normal mountain cave.

"Not much glamour, is there?" she commented.

"You expected something flashier?" Erza inquired curiously. "It's a mine."

"I know, but I hear diamonds and I think of money and upper class. The jewelery my mom would wear, or what the maids picked out for me before I left. This looks like any ordinary mine. You'd never guess what was inside if you didn't know already."

"Indeed. Appearances are deceiving."

"We didn't come all this way to stand around," Gray said as he walked towards the entrance casually. "Let's hurry and get this o- VEER!"

The ground vanished from beneath the Ice Make user's feet and soon he also disappeared. Lucy and Happy both shrieked.

"Gray!"

"Wh-What happened to him!?"

Erza covered the distance to the entrance in a millisecond, sliding on her knees to where Gray had fallen. There was no floor in front of her. Instead, there was a steep drop with no seeable bottom. She called for him. "_Gray_! Are you alive and uninjured!?"

"I'm fine," an out of breath voice answered. It sounded much closer than anyone expected. Erza tilted her head down more until she could see the perpendicular wall below. Gray was hanging from a rock that jutted out from its base. "Can you pull me up now?"

"Right. Of course." Erza got down on her front and held her arm out to it's total length, just barely making it to Gray's other hand. With some effort she managed to help him climb up and out. He sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Erza."

"_Hahahaha_! Nice one, droopy eyes!" Natsu cackled. "I can't believe you fell like that!"

"Would you shut up!?" Gray grunted. "You would've been in the exact same position if you went first! And _you _probably wouldn't have been smart enough to look for something to grab onto!"

"Are you calling me stupid!?"

"Oh, thank Mavis you got that! I thought I'd have to spell it out for you!"

"Stop this fighting at _**once**_," Erza threatened. Both boys immediately ceased fire. Once Gray got to his feet, Erza looked back over the edge. "It seems you now have your answer," she spoke to the dark-haired mage, "regarding why the village doesn't attempt to turn this into a business."

"Yeah, decent enough answer," Gray snorted. "Unless you can fly, there's no way to get down there short of falling to your death. I saw a rope attached to the wall, but it didn't look like it'd be safe to grab with how much force I'd be putting on it. If you scaled own the wall carefully and then lowered yourself with it, maybe you'd succeed."

"Is that what Sylfa-san meant when he said only certain people can go down there?" Lucy asked.

"Most likely," Erza replied. "If one is light and has enough strength, I don't see this being an impossible feat. There's probably a handful of people back in the village agile enough to scale this, perhaps even without using the rope."

"Yeek, I can't imagine trying to climb down there with only my hands and feet..." Lucy shuddered at the thought. "I'd be too scared that I'd fall. Speaking of which, how exactly are we supposed to get down there?"

"I can fly Natsu down," Happy said.

"That's great, but what about the rest of us?"

"I could make stairs or something," Gray mumbled to himself, "but considering I don't know where the floor is... Not to mention the danger of slipping..."

"I see the problem, but fear not." Erza stood up and brushed her armor off. "I have a simple solution."

"You do?" Lucy blinked. "What?"

* * *

"This... _sucks_..."

"Tell me about it..."

Natsu and Gray disagreed on a lot of topics, but they were both equally annoyed at having to scale down an almost-completely vertical cave wall. Erza was beneath the two of them, having climbed down much faster and with much more grace than the boys.

"I see nothing that would warrant a complaint," she said flatly. "Is this not the best way of reaching the bottom with everyone comfortable?"

"Define 'comfortable'," Gray snapped under his breath.

"Yeah! I feel like my arms are gonna fall off!" Happy complained, hands full of blue fabric.

"You make one comment about my weight and I will clip your wings, cat," Lucy grumbled as she was lowered down into the darkness.

"But then how will we get out of here if I can't fly? That's kinda' dumb, Lucy."

"Did you just call me dumb!?"

"Ack! Stop squirming around before I drop you!"

"Don't you _dare_!"

"Oi, Lucy... Stop screaming so much," Natsu muttered. "You're echoing."

"So!?"

"_So_ the monster might hear you and decide to check what's up." Lucy squealed in protest.

"Eek! Okay, okay! I'll stop screaming!"

"Still doing it, Luce."

"Shut up, Natsu!"

"Sheesh," Gray snorted, looking down at Erza. "And you and Mira were fantasizing about what their _babies _would look like? I don't see-"

"You guys were doing _what_!?" Lucy shrieked.

"Lucy, stop moving! My paws-!"

Lucy's shirt slipped through Happy's hands from the movement, filling the cave with her yell. Natsu paled.

"Lucy!"

"Shit!" Gray cursed. Just as the rest of Team Natsu's human members were about to make a jump to save the blonde, Lucy's scream promptly stopped with an _'Oof_!'

"Oww... Stupid rocks..." Natsu blinked.

"Luce...?"

"Are you injured, Lucy?" Erza called down.

"I- I don't think so," the whip-bearer replied. "My back hurts from the fall, but everything seems intact... For Mavis's sake, though! Why'd you drop me, Happy!?"

"You were squirming!" the Exceed protested. "What was I supposed to do? You're heavy!"

"I told you not to make cracks about my weight!"

"I'm not making a joke, I'm telling the truth!"

An exasperated groan was the only response. Erza hummed to herself. "It seems the distance to the bottom is not that great." The Requip mage released the wall and sailed down to the floor, boots clacking against the rock. The remaining teammates followed shortly.

"That wasn't as painful as it could've been, I guess," Gray mused.

"Speak for yourself," Lucy groaned as she stood up. "What kind of mine _is_ this? My butt is _killing _me from that fall... How far down are we, anyway?"

"Light is still discernible from the entrance," Erza noted, "But not enough for one hundred percent visibility. A light source is needed if we want to continue."

"No problem, then," Natsu smirked as he lit up his hand. "One light source at your service!"

"Looks like he's good for something after all," Gray commented offhandedly. While Natsu snapped at the insult, the ice wizard folded his arms and looked around the cavern. "So, exactly which way are we supposed to go? There's more than one entrance."

Soon it wasn't just Gray looking confused. When the team turned around, they had three separate paths staring them in the face. Natsu scratched his head with his hand that wasn't ablaze.

"Uhh... Got me. We only have one light source, so do a couple of us go around in the dark?"

"I don't think that's a smart idea, Natsu," Erza said. "However, having only your fire to guide us is a problem. The way I see it, we can leave one path unexplored and scope out the other two. We'll pair up. Seeing as how Lucy is in the most danger of hurting herself, Natsu can go with her."

"Ah- Eh? Hey, I'm not that bad!" Lucy pouted.

"And what about me, then? I don't want to be the odd fish in the basket!" Happy wailed.

"Just go with Natsu and Lucy," Gray said. The cat shook his head furiously.

"No way! What if they decide to get all lovey-dovey in the dark? I don't wanna see that!" Natsu's brows furrowed at his friend's concern. Lucy, on the other hand, was suddenly grateful for the darkness. It helped block out the shades of red she was turning.

"We're on a _job_, you stupid cat! A _monster-hunting_ job at the bottom of a cave! What makes you think we'd be interested in that at _all _in this situation!?"

"I don't know! You're a weirdo, you might like doing things like that!" A nice amount of embarrassed angrish made its way out of the celestial wizard's mouth. Gray sighed heavily.

"So much for getting this done quickly..."

"Look, I don't need Natsu by my side constantly! I can take care of myself!" Lucy complained. "I-! I-! I got it!" Lucy shuffled for her keys in the dark, keenly aware of the stares she was getting for her outbursts. With a shout of _'Aha_!' she held up one of her gold ones and recited her summoning spell.

"_Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!_"

A familiar flash of starlight appeared at the call, followed by a familiar head of burnt orange hair. With an award-winning grin in place, Loke took Lucy's hand and gently kissed it.

"Your prince has come in your time of need, my lady."

"R-Right! Thank you!" Lucy looked back over to her teammates. "S-So you see, I can just explore this place with Loke! And Happy can go with Natsu! See? Two to each path! Now we're evenly separated!"

"... Well, I suppose that works..." Erza raised a brow. "Are you sure you don't wish for Natsu to accompany you anyway? He is the only light we have, and with you being the clumsiest out of us all-"

"Loke can create light too, no worries!" Lucy quickly added. "Right, Loke?" Loke merely looked bemused by whatever was going on.

"Of course..." he answered. "I'm sure I can manipulate my magic into some non-harmful light source. Fear not, Titania." Loke's smile returned as he put his arm around his master. "I will not let harm come to this beautiful princess. You have my word."

"I suppose there's no reason to continue sticking around here, then." Erza snatched Gray's arm and began pulling him towards the middle path, much to his protest.

"So what, we don't get _any _light?"

"Yes. I relish the challenge as well."

"That's _not _what I meant!"

Their voices disappeared as the light from Natsu's fire no longer reflected off of them.

"Well, guess we better start too!" the rosette chirped. "Let's go, Happy!"

"Aye sir!" The Exceed followed his partner down the last entrance. Before the two could vanish completely, Natsu turned around and called back,

"Hey Loke! Make sure Lucy doesn't hurt herself, alright?"

"Do _not _insult my skills, Natsu," Loke joked wryly. "I always protect my mistress; and if you have any further doubts, I'll be _thrilled _to show you what I can do once we leave this place."

"I'll hold you to that!"

Then the flame covering Natsu's hand died out, leaving Lucy and Loke in the dark. The lion spirit chuckled to himself.

"I guess I should start on that light I promised, huh?"

* * *

And now off to Japan I go for two weeks!

But no seriously, that's where I'll be. With no internet access, most likely. Which means no GDrive writing. Waaah.

On the other hand, I made a tumblr blog for my trip there: nippon-no-matala-tachi. Feel free to follow, but I guarantee you won't see much until I actually leave for the country (Which is the first/second on July).

Wish me luck over there! Imma' see if I can get my hands on the "Fairy Tail Festival" versions of Shonen Magazine :3


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